


Silent Apologies

by pippinmctaggart



Category: Lord of the Rings RPF
Genre: Apologies, Established Relationship, Love, M/M, Makeup Sex, Morning Sex
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2004-07-09
Updated: 2004-07-09
Packaged: 2018-03-31 08:26:07
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 6,291
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3970903
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/pippinmctaggart/pseuds/pippinmctaggart
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Many grateful thanks to my dear <span class="ljuser i-ljuser i-ljuser-deleted i-ljuser-type-P"><a class="i-ljuser-profile" href="http://1420.livejournal.com/profile"><img class="i-ljuser-userhead"/></a><a class="i-ljuser-username" href="http://1420.livejournal.com/"><b>1420</b></a></span> for the beta. Without her this would make a lot less sense.</p><p>A/N: I tried my hand at several dialogue-only fics, and I quite enjoyed writing them. However, I decided in the interests of fairness, I had better try a <i>no</i>-dialogue fic. This is what happened.</p>
    </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Many grateful thanks to my dear [](http://1420.livejournal.com/profile)[**1420**](http://1420.livejournal.com/) for the beta. Without her this would make a lot less sense.
> 
> A/N: I tried my hand at several dialogue-only fics, and I quite enjoyed writing them. However, I decided in the interests of fairness, I had better try a _no_ -dialogue fic. This is what happened.

 

Billy usually woke with a start. Most mornings his internal alarm clock clanged, and with a jerk of one hand, or a foot, he was wide awake. Instantly.  
         
It drove Dom mad.

Dom usually woke slowly, languidly, reluctantly. Often he had to be manhandled from slumber by either raucous music on the alarm clock (since the buzzer was no longer enough), or by someone (now always Billy) actually physically shaking him awake.

It frustrated Billy to no end.

 

 

Sunday was their one morning to have a bit of a lie-in. Sundays Billy usually found himself able to turn his internal alarm clock off, hit the snooze button, so to speak. He’d doze for a while, sometimes just lay there and watch Dom sleep. He’d watch the way Dom’s eyelashes fluttered as he dreamed, watch that one strand of hair, the one that was always in his eyes, tremble. Sometimes, as he watched, Dom’s hand would stretch out, reaching and clenching itself in Billy’s t-shirt as he struggled through one of his nightmares. When that happened, Billy would stroke Dom’s chest and stomach, rubbing soothing concentric circles until the hand relaxed and the furrows between Dom’s brows cleared. And Dom would sleep on.

 

 

This Sunday, however, was different.

It was different because Dom woke first, much more quickly than normal, but still with nothing like Billy’s instant alertness. He wondered, as he dragged a hand across gritty eyes, why on earth he _had_ woken. It was too quiet. He should have been able to hear Billy quietly making them breakfast in the kitchen, or the rustling of the newspaper as he read it or Billy’s low voice on the phone to Margaret in Glasgow. He should have been smelling coffee.

He turned his head on the pillow, the cotton rustling in his ear and sounding unnaturally loud. He sought out the digital numbers on the alarm clock. 7:12? What the fuck was he doing awake at 7:12 on a Sunday morning? Hell, even Billy wouldn’t wake for almost another hour. Or more.

Then Dom knew why he was awake. This had happened twice before, him waking before Billy. And both times—all three times, now—they’d fought the night before. Gone to bed still angry. Stupid, petty arguments, but arguments nonetheless. And then Dom remembered waking during the night, too, once with a nightmare. It explained why he felt not at all rested.

He looked over at Billy, regret suddenly thick in his throat. If Billy had been in his usual position, sprawled on his stomach, face wedged between their pillows, knee up and pressing against Dom’s thigh—maybe he would’ve woken him, to apologize for being a prat, for losing his temper, for picking a fight over something so stupid. Because, really, who fought over filling the ice cube trays?

Dom knew Billy loved ice in his drinks—water, juice, even milk, which made Dom laugh. So why, when Dom emptied the tray, didn’t he just fucking refill it right there and then? He always meant to—just go have a bit of a sit-down with his cold drink first, get to it in just a minute—and he almost always forgot. So when Billy got up in the morning and wanted ice in his orange juice—or came home after filming or PR and wanted nothing more than a tall glass of ice water—or wanted a rare glass of milk with dinner but in order for Billy to drink milk it had to be ice cold—when those times came up and there was no ice, Billy never said anything. He just filled the tray with water, put it in the freezer, and put his glass back in the cupboard, carefully not looking at Dom.

And Dom resented it a little, because really, if that was the worst thing Billy had to complain about, then he had it pretty good, didn’t he? But it wasn’t the worst, of course. And God knew Billy wasn’t perfect either. So how had they both totally lost it over bloody ice cube trays?

And had Billy been in his normal position, the way he lay like a child, his mouth slightly open and his arm and leg both half-reaching for Dom, then Dom would have woken him and apologized and tried to make it better.

But Billy wasn’t in his normal position. Billy lay on his side, at the far edge of the bed, facing away from Dom. For some irrational reason (and yes, he knew it was, thank you very much, but knowing it was irrational didn’t change the way he felt) Dom felt hurt.

He rolled away, closed his eyes again, and because he was Dom, soon fell back to sleep.

 

 

Billy woke later than usual. He knew it was later than usual without having to look at the clock, knew by the way he woke so slowly, knew by how groggy and muzzy he felt, and he knew why, too. He’d been awake half the night, it seemed, unable to sleep after that stupid fight with Dom. Petty, was what it was. Why the hell had he done his nut, gotten so bent out of shape over _ice_? He never had ice on location, or in his bottled water at interviews and cons and while he traveled. He could live without it if Dom occasionally (regularly) forgot to refill the trays. But last night it had just seemed so…annoying. How hard was it, really, to pour a bit of water in and pop them in the freezer? But then he’d gone and _sighed_ , and he knew Dom hated when he did that. As far as Dom was concerned, if you had something to say then you should bloody well say it. And because he was annoyed and feeling a little spiteful (one of his worst character traits, he knew, but knowing something was so didn’t mean you could always prevent it), he’d sighed again. And that was the beginning of it all, wasn’t it, because Dom had gotten up from the sofa and walked out and Billy had slammed the freezer door and an hour later Dom was back and they were yelling about completely unrelated but equally silly grievances. An hour after that Dom silently went to bed. Alone. Billy had sat up for several hours, keyed up, vacillating between being pissed and wanting to go upstairs and wake Dom and apologize, but if Dom was hard to wake in the mornings, it was next to fucking impossible in the middle of the night, so Billy had given up on that idea. Pishing in the wind, that was. He’d gone to bed himself, lain silent and awake for some time, even when he could tell from the change in his breathing that Dom had woken, even knowing how unusual that was, and wondering if his nightmares were especially troublesome tonight. But surely Dom would say something if he needed Billy, wouldn’t he? Billy had even rolled over, ready to check on him, ready to apologize and then soothe and comfort. But Dom’s eyes were closed, and even as Billy hesitated, Dom’s breathing slowed again, the little snuffle that betrayed when he was truly asleep returning.

Billy turned his head on his pillow, unsurprised to see Dom still asleep in the morning light coming through their window. He pushed back a sudden little spark of resentment that Dom had gone to bed first, hours before Billy, and yet here he was still sleeping. It wasn’t fair, he knew Dom was just built that way, knew he needed more sleep than Billy did. Billy had a little theory that Dom’s fidgety, always-active body during the day was at fault, whereas he, Billy, was still and spare and economical. He had no idea if that was even possible, but as theories went, he liked it.

He turned his body to follow his head, lay on his opposite side with one hand under his cheek. Watched Dom, as he often did. Studied the curled fingers flung up above his head, the dark stubble against his morning-pale face. Resolved to apologize as soon as Dom was awake enough to take it in. He waited for the lengthy list of warning signs that Dom was slowly coming out of dreamland.

Which was why he was so startled to lift his eyes from where they had been focused on the even rise and fall of Dom’s chest to find Dom’s stormsea eyes watching him in return.

 

 

They simply looked at each other for long moments. Without shifting his gaze, Dom eased his body onto its side, copying Billy’s posture down to the hand under his cheek.

Billy lifted the corner of his mouth in a wry smile that somehow managed to be shy at the same time. The corners of his eyes crinkled as he made the first tentative offering.

Dom just looked back. Billy felt his stomach do a slow roll, but then Dom lifted one hand, the one not pillowing his face, and lifted one long bare finger to stroke gently at the laugh-lines at the corner of Billy’s eye. Dom trailed his finger across Billy’s temple, down his cheekbone, following the contours of his face, until he reached Billy’s mouth.

Billy let his eyes flutter closed as he turned his head slightly, opening more of his face up to Dom’s tender touch. He felt the rounded pad of Dom’s finger trace across first his upper lip, detouring up his filtrum, then his lower lip, pressing into the little space beneath it, then felt it brush gently down his chin, fingernail catching on his morning stubble and tickling. Then Dom was following his jaw line up to his ear, across the other temple. Two fingers now, gently ghosting across his forehead, following the lines that were nearly invisible in relaxation, smoothing first one eyebrow, then the other, then just one finger again now ever so gently stroking across his closed eyelids, making his lashes tremble. A small sound of enjoyment vibrated behind Billy’s closed lips. Dom’s finger rubbed across the bridge of Billy’s nose, then firmly down it, pressing against the slightly pointy end like he did when he was teasing. Billy smiled. Dom’s finger traced both lips at once, tracking that smile.

Billy opened his eyes, lifted a hand to catch at Dom’s wrist, pressed a damp kiss against Dom’s warm palm. He looked over at Dom, saw the smile that made his stomach flip.

Dom watched as Billy kissed his palm, as Billy looked at him from between Dom’s own fingers, as Billy’s eyes darkened as he took in the little smile that Dom gave to show his heart.

Dom’s skin flushed with warmth as Billy rolled onto his stomach, and he put his free arm over Billy, encouraging him closer until Billy’s shoulder rested against Dom’s chest. Dom propped his head up on his other hand, looked down at Billy’s lightly freckled back, at the darker, sleep-flattened hair on the back of his head as Billy nestled his face down between their pillows. He started rubbing Billy’s back with his one hand, letting his fingers dig and knead into the usual trouble spots, and sure enough there were knots. Dom wondered how Billy had slept last night, what time he’d eventually come to bed. Knowing Billy, it was far too late, if he was upset. Feeling at least partially responsible for the tensions kinking up Billy’s back, Dom was determined to do something about them. He rose, got to his knees, pulled the sheets down to Billy’s rump, the dimples there just showing above the low waistband of his shorts. He straddled Billy but didn’t sit, leaning forward to begin what Billy called ‘Monaghan’s Massive Massage’, long strong fingers slowly easing out all the knots to leave Billy, nearly fifteen minutes later, loose and supple and nearly purring.

Grinning, Dom flopped down beside him, lying on his back. He was unsurprised when Billy slid a leg over his, slipped an arm around his waist, lifted his head from between the pillows to tuck his face against Dom’s neck. He _was_ a little surprised, though, to suddenly feel Billy’s warm silky tongue lapping at his skin—Billy didn’t usually go in for a lot of licking, except during a blowjob. That thought woke up Dom’s penis, previously laying almost flaccid between his thighs.

Billy felt Dom’s length jump a little against his leg. He smiled against the wet skin of Dom’s neck and knew now how he was going to apologize. Call it makeup sex, call it pleasuring his lover, call it a thank you for the massage—it was going to be all of those.

Billy put his palm against the mattress under his chest and pushed up, levering himself up and onto Dom, not quite fully covering him, but enough that their half-hard cocks lay side-by-side, separated only by the thin cotton of Billy’s boxers.

Dom made a little sound of contentment as he lifted his hands to Billy’s shoulders, kneaded with his thumbs.

Billy looked at him, warm green eyes meeting and holding the gaze of cool grey ones. Dom’s eyes were always greyest in the morning, he reflected. Billy’s lips lifted in a little smile that his lover immediately returned tenfold. Billy reached his hands up to rest his fingertips on Dom’s jaw, stretched his body taut to reach Dom’s lips with his own, eyes still locked together. The slight motion of cock against cock, the barely-there friction, was almost as erotic as if they had palmed each other, and the kiss that began as delicate, gentle and sweet soon deepened and grew urgent and wanting.

Billy pulled back, pressing his swollen cock against Dom’s equally hard one, Dom’s breath huffing as his eyes fluttered open. Dom began to reach for the bedside table, intending to get the thin lube they used to protect against skin-on-skin friction. His other hand automatically began pushing at Billy’s pants. His heart lifted, knowing for sure from the expression on Billy’s face that he was forgiven. That surety was shaken a second later, though, as Billy’s full weight came down on him as both his hands were lifted. Billy’s left hand stopped the one reaching for the lube, and his right gently pushed away the one at his waistband. Dom frowned, opened his mouth to ask why, what was wrong, he was sorry—but Billy smiled that open, curving, loving smile of his and laid a light finger over Dom’s lips. Dom relaxed, let both hands come to rest on Billy’s back, tacitly agreeing to wait for Billy’s lead. Billy looked up through his eyelashes in a way that made Dom’s erection twitch, and eased himself down just a bit, lowering his head to drop soft dry kisses on Dom’s chest. Dom slowly ran his hands up and down Billy’s bare back, and after a few times let his fingernails scrape. Billy lifted his head, a mischievous gleam making his eyes glitter, and as Dom grinned back, Billy gave a low laugh and bent his head to a new task.

Dom arched slightly as Billy’s lips nibbled at his right nipple, slowly hardening it to a little nub that he then flicked with his tongue. Dom’s breath left his lungs with a rush as the spark of that sensation flashed along his muscles and sinews, then directly through his pubic bone to his cock, which pressed up against Billy’s stomach. Billy simply transferred his attentions to the other nipple, his eyebrows lifting high towards his hair as he looked up to watch Dom’s reaction. As Billy sucked, tonguing him a little, Dom’s chest rose to meet him, his shoulder blades rising off the mattress, head tilting back, jaw tipping towards the ceiling. The sound he made spurred Billy on as another jolt burst through Dom’s body. Billy stayed there for a moment longer, obviously enjoying the tremble in Dom’s abdominal muscles, the sight of a pink tongue darting out to moisten parted lips. Then he moved down.

Billy shifted further down on Dom’s body, tracing skin and veins and ribs with his fingertips. He intended to spin this out, to draw this out as long as he could, and the anticipation of watching Dom come hard was turning him on every bit as much as rubbing his erection on Dom’s thigh. As his fingers trailed down Dom’s sides, his tongue slipped down the middle of Dom’s stomach until it dipped into his navel. He grinned as Dom jerked. Billy knew Dom found a tongue pressing in his belly button to be not only sensual, but ticklish as hell. He repeated it once more, laughing against Dom’s concave belly as he made a half-hearted growling noise of warning. Billy swirled his tongue around Dom’s navel one last time, then continued on his downward journey, following the thin line of fine hair. His fingers gripped Dom’s hips as he pulled in his tongue and nestled his pursed lips in the dark curls, blowing long, hot breaths against the base of Dom’s erection.

Dom groaned, his hips pushing up against the resistance of Billy’s strong hands. The damp heat coming from Billy’s mouth was drawing all the blood in his body into his cock, and he wasn’t sure how much longer he’d be able to hold out. Not with Billy apparently so determined to make him as hard as possible. And holy fuck was he succeeding. Suddenly breathless, Dom found Billy’s head with his hands, ran his fingers into his hair, used them to suggest Billy was just slightly out of position. He felt, more than heard, Billy’s low chuckle, and was gratified when Billy started to shift. Gratification soon turned to groaning, though, as Billy moved further down than Dom had intended and bypassed his aching erection entirely in favour of delicate touching and soft kissing of thighs…knees…shins…and feet. Dom gasped at the incredibly intimate feeling of Billy’s tongue sweeping the curve of his arch. He was about to speak, to beg and plead Billy to leave his feet, to come back, but before he could form the words Billy was on the move again. He returned to Dom’s knees, insinuated a hand under each, and lifted, until Dom’s feet were flat on the bed, his legs splayed wide with Billy between them.


	2. Chapter 2

 

Billy hesitated a moment, then decided to delay his return for one more activity. He knew Dom was getting a little impatient, was aroused and hard and needing, and that was just the way Billy wanted him. Knowing Dom’s flexibility, he took one leg, gripping it around the calf, and lifted until it was nearly straight above him. He saw Dom’s head shift as he looked down, saw the little smile on Dom’s lips that clearly asked what exactly Billy was doing now. Billy caught his eyes, held them as he rolled to his knees in order to be able to reach up just a little higher. Held Dom’s eyes as he slowly, wetly, languidly licked the soft skin behind his knee. Watched as Dom’s lips parted, as his soft breaths became little pants, as his cock suddenly jumped. Heard him moan.

Billy smiled, gave a last long swipe of his tongue to the back of Dom’s knee, and set his foot gently back on the bed. Slid both hands down Dom’s other leg, his own breath quickening at the sight of Dom’s thigh muscles trembling. He grew even harder when Dom moaned again before Billy’s tongue was even anywhere near the sensitive skin he was raising the leg to access. When he finally did lick behind Dom’s other knee, this time making quick, short swipes directly along the creases in the skin, a low growl rumbled out of Dom’s chest and his hips involuntarily bucked up, all his weight on one foot pressing down into the mattress, tilting Billy and pulling his tongue away from Dom’s skin.

Dom nearly whimpered when Billy’s touch disappeared, only just stopped himself. He let his hips fall back to the bed as Billy lowered his leg slowly, fingers gliding up past his knee, lifting the coarse hair and causing a shiver to run across the surface of Dom’s skin. Dom tilted his face down, angling his neck awkwardly in order to watch Billy. Billy took one look at him and crawled up to straddle his torso, just high enough that Dom couldn’t thrust against him, although in his need he tried, writhing underneath Billy. Billy placed a calming palm on Dom’s chest, made a soothing noise.

Dom closed his eyes for a moment, stilled, took several deep breaths. When he opened his eyes, Billy was smiling down at him, green eyes alight with love and hunger. He slid a soft, cool hand around the back of Dom’s flushed neck and pulled gently, and Dom aided the cause by tightening his abdominals and raising his shoulders off the bed, bringing his face up to meet Billy’s lips as they lowered. His hands grasping Billy’s waist, Dom lost himself in the kiss, in the feel of that small hot wet mouth on his, in the sensation of Billy’s tongue stroking over his, sending a new wave of lust sparkflashing through his body. It wasn’t until Billy withdrew and cool air wafted over Dom’s swollen lips that he opened his eyes and discovered Billy had been busy. When he let Billy lower him to the bed, he had only inches to go before he was lying supported by a pile of pillows. He didn’t realize their purpose at first, distracted as he was, not until Billy moved down again—taking care not to touch Dom’s cock, and Dom thought perhaps that was a good thing, because he was so hard and aching he might come from the briefest of touches and he wanted to hold on because he thought Billy was planning on sucking him off—but when Billy lowered himself between Dom’s thighs and looked up, Dom understood the pillows. Billy knew it turned Dom on to watch, knew Dom’s orgasms were more intense when he could see Billy’s mouth working around his cock. And for that very reason Billy didn’t always let him watch, to make sure it stayed unpredictable, special. Hot. Sometimes he made Dom hang his head off the edge of the bed, sometimes he simply told him to close his eyes. A very few times Dom had even allowed Billy to blindfold him, and that always turned into a very different experience entirely, one that Dom was glad Billy hadn’t opted for today. Instead, he’d chosen to let Dom watch, and Dom’s cock gave an anticipatory leap, nearly hitting Billy in the chin. Billy laughed at that, and at the grin on Dom’s face. But even as he laughed, suddenly his fingers came from nowhere and stroked Dom’s balls, and it caught Dom so by surprise that he hissed, his back arching off the bed with pleasure.

Billy nearly moaned at the sight of Dom bowed up like that, taut, like a spring under tension, and it was all he could do not to grind his own throbbing erection against Dom’s leg. He kept caressing Dom’s balls, though, gentle fingertips pressing in and dragging across the loose skin, and soon Dom relaxed slightly, no longer surprised by the sensation, his body sinking back into the mattress. Billy waited patiently while Dom closed his eyes briefly, licked his lips; waited until eyes the colour of blued steel sought his own. Then he slowly extended his tongue and licked Dom’s cock from base to tip, curving his tongue in that way he knew Dom loved, especially when he was watching, giving a little flutter at the very end. Dom gasped, and his hands surged down to fist in Billy’s hair. But Billy wanted no distractions from what he was about to do, wanted to be able to concentrate solely on Dom’s cock and how long he could make this last—and he wondered if perhaps he hadn’t got Dom a little too ready before giving his mouth? As he parted his lips to take in just the head of Dom’s erection, he reached up with one hand to encircle Dom’s wrist and pull lightly. Dom released his hair, with some difficulty apparently as he made a small noise while doing so. Billy looked up at Dom as he gently washed his tongue around Dom’s cock, and gestured above the other man’s head. Dom looked above and behind him, raised his arms over his head and gripped the headboard. He lifted an eyebrow questioningly at Billy, and as Billy nodded, moving Dom’s cock in an enthralling way, Dom released a short, sharp breath. He lifted one foot to hook his toes into the waistband of Billy’s pants and tug them down, but he was ignored. He repeated it several times, insistently, until with a grin Billy raised himself long enough to kick them off.

Billy placed his hands against Dom’s pelvis, thumbs just inside his hipbones, pressing ever so slightly into the concave space there, while his strong fingers wrapped around his sides, fingertips digging into the hard warm flesh of Dom’s arse. He made sure his grip was secure, then sank his mouth around Dom’s cock, taking him as deeply as he could. His grip was tested almost instantly as Dom bucked, thrust upward with a guttural cry, trying to find the tight hot depths of Billy’s throat. Billy sucked once, the inside of his cheeks briefly slipping against the sides of Dom’s cock before he released him.

Propped on the pillows, Dom watched everything Billy did to him, even when he arched off the bed, though he had to concentrate to keep his eyes open. That concentration was probably the only thing keeping him from coming already, from that one short slide inside Billy’s mouth. Dom barely even had time to finish the thought before he saw Billy’s lips part and his tongue flicker out to trace the rigid vein that ran the length of his cock. He gasped sharply, moaned when Billy’s eyes met his. He pulled against the headboard, his biceps flexing, the muscles in his forearms corded, his body starting to quiver with tension and need and arousal. When Billy’s thumbs dug even more deeply into his hips, Dom knew Billy was getting ready, was going to finish him, was going to suck him hard. He dug his heels into the mattress, twisting a little in his impatience and anticipation, his desire for Billy, his desire to fuck Billy’s mouth so strong he could taste it. He moaned again as Billy pushed on his hip with one hand, straightening him out. Finally—oh thank God finally—Billy took Dom’s achingly, painfully hard cock into his mouth, slowly, letting Dom take pleasure in the sight of himself disappearing into that slick wet heat.

Billy held Dom tightly with his fingers as he sank his mouth over Dom’s erection. He swirled his tongue, sucked, licked, let Dom thrust upwards into his mouth, over and over, knew Dom was watching every second. He also knew how much Dom loved an active role, loved to arch into him against the resistance of his hands, loved to—as he’d moaned in the past—fuck Billy’s mouth. And so Billy let him watch, let him fuck, let him come with a sudden moaning, groaning shout as Billy sucked hard, his cheeks hollowing, his lips working Dom’s cock. He was so aroused himself, he moaned around his mouthful, hunched himself up, and rubbed himself on Dom’s stiffly out-thrust leg.

Dom came so hard he felt he was being turned inside-out, and as he shuddered and writhed under Billy’s touch, his gasping breath tore out of his throat and his eyes closed of their own volition. All he could do was feel; from the smooth now-warm wood under his hands, to the strain down his back, to the rock hard muscles clenching in his abdomen, to the way his legs felt locked stiff and straight. He felt Billy grinding his own hard erection into his leg as Dom’s orgasm flashed in rolling waves through his body, as Billy’s throat reflexively swallowed. Then as Dom’s tense muscles began to relax, as he began to feel a gentle ache in his arms, he felt Billy’s breath suddenly, sharply quicken against his cock, felt Billy’s fingers dig into his hips, felt a spurting wetness hot on his leg as Billy growled and opened his mouth, tongue slicking down Dom’s length as he released him and leaned his forehead against Dom’s hip, shuddering, twisting as he came. Dom lifted his free leg and wrapped it around Billy’s thighs, let go of the headboard and opened his eyes, reaching down to grasp Billy’s shoulders, and softly moaned his appreciation, and encouragement.

Billy slumped bonelessly, panting heavily. His cock burned a little from the friction but he didn’t care, it had felt too good, he had been too aroused to stop. He groaned, kissed the skin directly beneath his lips, too spent to move. He heard—and felt—Dom’s deep chuckle as he shifted on his stack of pillows and began to knead at Billy’s shoulders. Billy relaxed, draped over his lover, contentment flooding through him. He knew that had been a good one for Dom, knew Dom was in no doubt about how much he was loved. He hoped Dom knew that had also been an apology. He lifted his head, opening his eyes, looking up at his heart’s ease. Laughed at himself for such an old-fashioned sentiment even as he thought how accurate some of those old-fashioned sentiments were, and he drank in Dom’s answering smile. As Dom moved one hand from a shoulder to caress his cheek, Billy nuzzled against him, closing his eyes again as he realized sleep was a strong possibility. But Dom apparently had other ideas. Billy groaned as Dom sat up, long lean hands urging him to roll over, off of Dom, onto his back. He did so, eyes still stubbornly closed but a little smile on his lips. But when he felt the bed suddenly dip and bounce back as Dom climbed to his feet, his eyes opened and he raised his head, reaching out. Dom made a shushing noise, briefly laid a reassuring hand on his arm, and left the room.

Billy lay back, stared at the ceiling, wondered what time it was. He hoped Dom hadn’t gone to put the coffee on, because quite honestly, he made shite coffee. He smiled fondly, considered calling to Dom to leave the coffee up to him, but decided against it in case Dom thought he was hinting. The last thing he wanted was for Dom to think it was a from-the-other-room version of the big sigh.

When he returned, Dom stood in the doorway for a moment watching, enjoying the sight of a sated, relaxed, and above all happy Billy sprawled naked on their bed. Heard Billy humming softly to himself and knew he probably wasn’t even aware he was doing it—Billy had too much music inside him for it to ever be constrained or fully contained. Dom returned to the bed and sat beside him, unclenching his hand from around the wet washcloth, his hand having held the warmth in nicely. He shook the cloth loose, saw the understanding in Billy’s smile, and gently, tenderly washed him clean, being very careful with Billy’s cock, which was probably a little sore to the touch now. He saw Billy’s eyes flutter closed as he stretched his arms up above his head, surrendering himself up to Dom’s ministrations. Billy’s lips parted slightly and he drew in a deep breath, looking to Dom’s eyes like he was at complete and utter peace with the world. And suddenly Dom had an idea, a brainwave, a bloody fucking epiphany, thank you very much, and he had no idea why he hadn’t thought of it before, because it was so flaming obvious a _chimp_ could have thought of it. It wasn’t like it would solve all their problems, but it would solve one, and it would make Billy happy, and that was reason enough right there.

Billy felt Dom give him another swipe with the now-cool washcloth and then again get to his feet. He looked up at Dom, who had a pleased little smile on his face. There was an anticipation there that made Billy raise an eyebrow suspiciously, unable despite his attempt to prevent the grin that tugged up the corners of his mouth. He began to say something, his intention being to ask Dom if the canary feathers in his mouth were tasty, but Dom quieted him again. He laid long fingers over Billy’s lips, and held his eyes as he shook his head. There was something in those stormsea eyes that spoke of challenge, of a game unwittingly begun but eagerly embraced. Dom deliberately made a shushing noise, and Billy understood, saw the rules of the challenge in his expression, grinned, nodded his silent agreement. Dom gave him an approving little pat on the leg before he left, the adored blue-grey eyes positively twinkling with glee. Shrugging, Billy rolled onto his side, amused and sure he’d find out what was up sooner rather than later, because there had been mischief beyond the game in that face.

Dom took so long that Billy very nearly did fall asleep again, hovering on the edge of unconsciousness, blissfully aware it was Sunday and he could be a lazy arse if he wanted. He started fully awake, though, when Dom returned, bearing a clinking tray, and the acrid smell of strong, bitter coffee assaulted his nose. He was thinking he really would have to gird himself up later, try to gather the courage to finally tell Dom—as sweetly and lovingly as he could, and after the game was over, of course—to never ever touch the coffeemaker again, when Dom took something large and heavy off the tray and dropped it on the bed beside Billy before turning to set the tray on the night stand. Billy rolled over once again to look, but he still didn’t understand. It was an out-of-date catalogue, well over a year old, hardly of use anymore. What exactly was he supposed to do with this? He looked questioningly up at Dom, who appeared downright chuffed.  Dom leaned over and opened the thick catalogue, quickly flicking through the printed pages, licking a fingertip to turn them more easily. He finally slowed, found the item he was looking for, and tapped it with a firm finger before straightening up and turning away. Billy shifted to his side, propped his head on one hand, and curiously pulled the catalogue closer to look.

His loud shout of delighted laughter drew an answering chuckle from Dom, who picked something off the tray and tossed it to land on the open catalogue. Billy started as it flew past his nose, but he lifted his eyes to look at Dom gratefully when he saw it was Dom’s own personal credit card, not the one for their joint account. Dom meant this as a gift, and Billy was touched. Dom grinned crookedly, shyly, knowing Billy understood.

Billy looked down at the picture again. He knew the one in the current catalogue might be a little different, but it didn’t matter, the main features would be the same. Stainless steel, side-by-side doors, moveable shelves, meat keeper and large vegetable crispers—and of course, a built-in ice maker. It would even _crush_ his ice, a luxury beyond expectation.

Laughing, Billy tore the page out of the catalogue, scrambled to his feet and hopped over to the mirror hanging above his dresser. He tucked the flimsy paper into the corner of the frame, smoothed it with his fingers, then turned to face Dom again. Dom had pulled on shorts and a t-shirt, and was holding out fresh ones for Billy as well. Grinning, Billy took them, quickly donned them, and then wrapped his arms around Dom and hugged him tightly, lifting him off his feet, laughing as Dom grunted. Billy nearly said something then, almost gave in to the desire to thank Dom, to tell him how much he was adored. But he was never one to give up easily on a challenge, never one to throw in the towel in a game he probably could win. Instead he released him, lifted his hands to cup Dom’s cheeks, and stretched up ever so slightly to kiss Dom sweetly, gently, with all the love and gratitude he could communicate with his lips. Dom leaned his forehead against Billy’s, running his hands lightly up and down his arms, smiling.

They stood like that for several minutes, apologies for the arguments being given, accepted, and returned in warm, companionable silence. Finally, Billy stepped away, picked up a cup of coffee from the tray and sniffed it. He winced, raised an eyebrow at Dom, and shook his head. He put the cup down and picked up the entire tray. He saw that Dom knew very well his lovingly made coffee was going to go down the drain and Billy would make fresh, saw too that Dom really didn’t mind even though he thrust out his lower lip in a pout. Billy walked to Dom, paused to drop a light kiss on that soft shining pink lip, and continued on out of the bedroom, headed for the kitchen. Grinning, Dom followed him through the door.


End file.
